THE
P RTAL
December 2012
Page 20
F a t h e r P e t e r ’s P a ge
More of a Sect
than yesterday?
Readers will know that I have often been very fortunate to be in the right place at the appropriate
time when important historical events in the life of the Church have occurred.
Lambeth Conference
One such time was the Lambeth Conference - the 10
yearly gathering of Anglican Bishops – in 1988 which
took place at The University of Kent. I can remember
having a cup of coffee with Professor Henry Chadwickin
one of the cafés on the campus, where I now drink
coffee with the students I serve!
add hundreds of years to the reconciliation process.”
narrowly defeated
As I write, the General Synod of the Church of
England has just narrowly defeated a resolution to
allow women to be ordained to the Episcopate. But let
us recognise the current reality –which is so different
to even 20 years ago. No one was persuaded by ‘the
with tears in his eyes
Unity argument’ or the fact of the miniscule size of the
Professor Henry Chadwick, who was a member of the Church of England within wider Catholic Christendom
Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, which (should) restrict its ability to change a (claimed)
was/is considered by many to be one of the great common ministry. The overwhelming arguments
theologians and historians within the Anglican in favour were purely secular; whilst those opposed
Communion. With sadness – almost with tears in his seemed more concerned with their continuance within
eyes – we discussed the resolution passed the previous Anglicanism.
day which rejected restraint over the consecration
of women bishops. Paradoxically, that action was not kept up with the secular world
followed by an overwhelming vote endorsing the Final
Within minutes of the declared result, the
Report of ARCIC-One.
disappointed ones were bewailing the fact that the
Church of England had “not kept up with the secular
an authentic ministry
world”; and that the politically-correct theory of
I can remember his words even now: “Anglicans like equality overruled both scripture and the historic
to think that great truths are always reconcilable with tradition and the teaching of the Church.
one another. Here we are faced with massive votes by
the Lambeth Conference that are actually incompatible more like a “sect”
In a misuse of the word, Sir Tony Baldry, the Tory
in their consequences. . . . The validity of ministry is not
a totally objective matter. It is bound up with whether MP and Church Commissioner, claimed that the
other people recognise that it is an authentic ministry of Church of England was now more like a“sect” than
the national church because it was out of step with
word and sacraments.”
mainstream opinion.
Canterbury and Rome
Professor Henry Chadwick was more circumspect
than I about whether women could actually be
ordained to the historic three-fold ministry of the
Catholic Church. [Remember this is six years before
Ordinatio sacerdotalis, and the Dubium published one
year later which clarified its authority.] But, he went
on: “I have given all my long life –as you, Peter, have
given your short one – to trying to bring Canterbury
and Rome closer together. Like you, I believe that Unity
is a dominical command and must have precedence over
everything else. What has happened this week is likely to
My question
My question is: “What did the Church of England become
on 11 November 1992 when it decided to ordain women
as priests?” Is not ‘a Sect’, a religious body which believes
it (alone) is right and self-righteously claims that the
bulk of Christendom is wrong? My conclusion follows:
“Whether you are a Sect because you are theologically
out of step with Orthodoxy; or a Sect because you are
politically out of step with secularism is immaterial. Sect
you are . . . and mainstream you should be!”
Father Peter Geldard